Jesus regularly changed the rules on what a successful life looks like. He did this because the Kingdom life has a different set of rules than those found in our society. For instance, he said that poverty is the way we inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The way to affluence is through poverty. 

That statement is found in the first Beatitude in Matthew 5:3 where he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Who are the poor in spirit? They are those who give up their pride, their rights, their seeking to look good in the eyes of others, and recognize the poverty of their own lives without Jesus. They are those who become like little children because they are the greatest in the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:4). Why are they the greatest? They have a child like faith in God. They simply believe and trustingly follow. With children there is no pretense or pretending. They are who they are and when they fall, they get up again and carry on. 

Think of how hard we work to look good and presentable to others. We like to look better than we are, to burnish our image. The poor in Spirit are those who understand their brokenness and need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. Out of that comes a deep humility along with mercy and grace toward others. After all, if we are in need of God’s daily grace, so our others. If we have received it, we also must give it. There is no pretense in those who are poor in spirit. Just a profound gratefulness that in His mercy, God loves us, accepts us, forgives us and uses us.

The poor in spirit are deeply grateful to God for all that He has done for them. They take none of God’s love for granted but live in thanksgiving. The poor in spirit have nothing to prove, nothing to lose and nothing to hide. They have a refreshing transparency to them because they are not trying to pretend they are something they are not. In fact, they don’t need to because it is God who gives them worth and value. It does not come from their effort but from God’s mercy and grace. Therefore they don’t need to pretend or make themselves look Good. God makes them look good by his love and mercy.

The poor in spirit love to please God. They are amazed that God would choose to use them in His work. They know that they cannot do anything of eternal value without God for Jesus told us, “You can do nothing without me.” With Him, however, anything is possible. 

And the poor in spirit give the same grace away that they have received. They know they didn’t deserve that grace but what was willingly given by Christ is willingly given away by them. That is why people gravitate toward those who are poor in spirit. They are rich in grace and mercy as God is. Like Jesus, they don’t make others earn their love. Like Him they just offer it, freely and repeatedly.

The way to the wealth of the Kingdom of God is through poverty of spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Father, I want to be poor in spirit and rich in you. Thank you for your eternal kindness in Jesus. Help me to live with a humble, childlike faith that follows you without pretense. And pass on your kindness to others. Amen.